Despite the reopening of shops and the partial reopening of terraces from May 19, the solidarity fund will be maintained in its entirety until the end of May. The amount will be progressively reduced from June onwards, with more flexible grant conditions, and the scheme is due to end in August.
May: shops reopen and solidarity fund maintained
From May 19, businesses considered non-essential, which have been closed for several weeks, will be able to reopen their doors, subject to a limit of one customer per 8 square meters. As of June 9, the capacity will double, to one customer per 4 square meters. We'll have to wait until June 30 to see this gauge disappear.
These reopenings will have no impact on the amount of the solidarity fund, which will remain un changed for the whole of May.
June: easier access to the solidarity fund
From June onwards, the solidarity fund will undergo a number of changes. At present, to be eligible, companies must demonstrate a loss of at least 50% of their sales, or be under administrative closure.
If the conditions are met, they can receive a maximum of 10,000 euros, or 20% of their reference sales, up to a maximum of 200,000 euros.
From June onwards, companies in the hotel and catering, culture, entertainment and events sectors will be able to benefit from the solidarity fund, regardless of the percentage of sales lost. However, the amount will be progressively reduced, with the last payment due in September for August activity.
The aim of this easing of conditions is to encourage restaurants to reopen as early as May 19, despite capacity restrictions. In fact, only cafés and restaurant terraces will be authorized to welcome customers on this date, up to a limit of 50% of their capacity. On June 9, indoor venues will be able to reopen, again at 50% capacity, with tables seating a maximum of 6 people.
Restaurant owners, concerned by these restrictions, even though any reopening, even partial, entails costs, are thus encouraged to resume business despite everything, from May 19 onwards. In addition, the exemption from payroll contributions and the short-time working scheme will remain in place until August.